The present invention relates generally to armored military vehicles, and more particularly to flush mounted hinge assemblies for pivotally mounting heavy closures such as doors or hatches on the vehicle hull flush with its exterior surface, and which enable at least 180.degree. movement of the closure relative to the hull.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,441 to Turner et al, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, relates to a field artillary ammunition support vehicle comprising an armored body mounted on a tracked chassis for resupplying ammunition to a self-propelled artillary weapon such as a tank. The armored body provides protection for the driver and crew of the vehicle, as well as for the ammunition it carries. Within the vehicle, projectiles are stored on racks and propellant charges are stored in compartments. A powered extensible hoist and conveyor are included for enabling racks of projectiles to be moved about and for conveying projectiles and propellant charges to the artillary weapon. Heavy armored closures, such as hatches or doors, cover access openings in the top, rear and sides of the vehicle.
It is particularly important that the side doors of such vehicles and their mounting hinges be flush with the exterior surface of the vehicle hull to enable the vehicle to traverse narrow passageways and to prevent damage to the doors and/or hinges occasioned, for example, by the vehicle scraping against fixed structures or other objects. It is also important that the doors be capable of 180.degree. movement with respect to the body so that they may be opened fully and positioned adjacent the exterior surface of the vehicle in order to provide unimpeded access to the interior of the vehicle, and that their hinge assemblies have good mechanical strength to support the heavy doors and enable smooth operation, as well as providing correct indexing so that the doors close properly. Furthermore, the openings in the vehicle must be adequately sealed against the passage of water or air when the doors are closed. Although the art is replete with various types of hinges, there are no known hinge assemblies which satifactorily satisfy these requirements.